It’s a new semester and a new year.  I bought a new planner just to bring in good energy because it’s 4.0 season.  There are new classes, new professors and an entirely new workload. A piece of advice is to make sure to stay organized and stay on top of dates so you don’t fall behind.  Some new things that I have started doing this semester have included making sure to have my dates already outlined and planned ahead of time. I have been scheduling specific times to study for tests and making sure to set aside designated time to work on essays for my first year writing seminar.  I also have a specific time I go to the gym in order to make sure I get there as often as possible. 

Another piece of advice is to make sure to look into summer classes, May X’s, and internships if you are interested.  Some majors may require some type of internship and there are usually pretty good ones offered over the summer. I will be taking summer classes to get a number of my GERs out of the way because I know I am probably going to double major and I want to make sure I have a slightly more flexible schedule. Also if you have scholarships, summer classes can help boost your GPA. 

Last piece of advice is to make sure to be registered to vote. I just got my voter registration card in the mail last week.  There is a lot going on in the political world with the coronavirus, the impeachment trial, unrest in Iran, and the treaty intended to resolve decades-old conflict between Israel and Palestine. Young people’s opinions matter and this is a great way to get your opinions heard by being active in politics and voting.  It could make or break our future. 

Not only is it a new year, but February is also the beginning of Black History Month.  In honor of that, I would like to mention the basketball superstar and hero Kobe Byrant. He passed away last Sunday along with some family and friends in a tragic helicopter accident. I am not the biggest sports fan but I knew he was an amazing player and an even better role model for a lot of kids. On Friday, I was just sitting in class and it randomly hit me that he was dead. It still does not seem real.

So much has already happened within the first month of the new year. Plan ahead and be sure to keep up with the ever changing world around us.